Shakers are widely used in laboratories to stir liquids held in beakers, flasks or test tubes. The shaker has a platform that oscillates horizontally when the shaker is operating. A shaker platform will normally include an array of threaded holes to enable attachment of clamps to the platform with screws. Metal flask clamps for Erlenmeyer flasks typically include a pair of intersecting bands that extend horizontally to form a base and bend upward to extend above the hip of the flask and along the tapered wall of the flask. Normally, a spring coil is attached around the ends of the bent bands. The flask is inserted into the clamp by expanding the spring coil and the bands outwardly by pressing the base of the flask into the opening created by the spring coil. One of the issues with metal clamps of that flasks tend to spin within the clamps when the shaker operates. The spinning can cause marring if the flask is made of glass, and in fact can cause substantial damage if the flask is made of plastic. Another issue is that metal springs require extreme forces to insert or remove the flask, and there is the danger of flask breakage. In addition, the metal springs tend to deform and loosen after repeated use and the flasks tend to rattle loosely inside the metal flask clamp creating significant noise pollution in the workspace. If the flask contains a large volume of fluid significant torque is generated which can cause the flask to spin excessively within the clamp especially if the metal springs are loose. Plastic clamps have been offered in the industry, but have not been widely accepted primarily because they do not conform well to the flask.
In addition, it is inconvenient for laboratory workers to detach and replace the clamps because the clamps are screwed to the shaker platform. For example, the laboratory worker must first retrieve a screw driver with a correct head and then physically screw and unscrew the clamps onto the platform. It is relatively common for laboratory workers to lose the screws, or to strip the threads on the screw or on the platform or strip the screw heads. As such, reconfiguring the clamp arrangement on the platform can be quite time consuming. Since most shaker platforms are removable, most laboratory workers simply remove the shaker platforms with the flask clamps attached for cleaning, autoclaving, or even sometimes to change the size of clamps attached to the platform. It is typical for a laboratory to have several shaker platforms with different flask clamps screwed to the platform. Storage can be an issue because space in the laboratory is often limited.
Clamps for other laboratory containers are also known in the prior art. For example, clamps for test tubes or test tube racks can be mounted onto a laboratory shaker platform as well.